Your views in 200 words or less

Letter by George Frey, Puyallup
on Jan. 9, 2012 at 1:16 pm
with 8 Comments »

January 9, 2012 1:19 pm

Gov. Chris Gregoire is proposing a half cent increase in the sales tax, which would generate about $500 million annually to replace cuts in education funding.

Would it really replace education funds or would it fund other programs that would have been cut if education hadn’t been? Were they actually going to cut education funding by that amount?

Politicians have a knack for talking about emotional items when facing difficult decisions but leaving out other information. This allows them to move funds into other areas.

Supporters of the 911 proposal Pierce County voters passed in November said that 100 percent of those funds would go to the 911 system – which is true. What they failed to mention was that the amount of funding currently being paid by local governments for 911 would decrease, allowing them to use those funds for other expenses.

So by passing the 911 proposition, we actually funded other local programs. We need to be sure that our legislators are not playing a similar shell game with us.

We need to know what other options there are for cuts before we approve a sales tax increase. The state is generating more revenue this year than it did last year but is spending more than the additional revenue it is receiving.

That sound more like a spending problem than a revenue issue. Are you making more this year?

Feeds

Yet another worldly economist in our midst whose favorite phrase is “sounds like a spending problem.” Gee, where have we heard that before and discovered that it is a false statement proved false by countless real economists?

I think the education system should be held accountable for the funding they do get. Attach strings that require schools to show evidence that the funding is being used for the right thing, which is to show us student performance.

People will say that students in poverty won’t perform. I know they can because I have seen them perform. It takes a STRICT teacher and one who sets ground rules that requires them to perform.

I also think we need to bring back a reform school where kids could go when they refuse to comply with the expectations of regular school.

George, you forgot to mention the amount of the tax increase that the idiots of pierce county approved for the 911 sham. That will be there when fraudoire gets her 1/2 cent sales tax increase. How much more of our money do they think they can spend?

Reading your letter reminds me of my TOTAL LOSE of TRUST in state government. They have swept the funds, cooked the books and used gimmicks for years and they have lost all creditability with the voters. They can not be trusted to spend the money and they will not restore trust by only suggesting an income tax, more sales tax, a gas tax, higher fees and their #1 priority is gay marriage.

It will get a lot worst before it gets better and the controlling party (democrats) are the blame.

Great letter and your right, it’s a spending problem and it won’t change until we have restored checks and balance in state government.

underlying valid point by the writer…increasing taxes to fund a program (any program) and then subsequently decreasing the funding from other sources is wrong. If you have gone to the people to request the money then you have proven a need. Playing the shell game says something else entirely. Publico, whether it’s actually a spending problem or a revenue problem is irrelevent. When things like this happen it becomes a perception that it’s all about spending and perception is reality.

An excellent post from truthbusterguy and I couldn’t agree more with that Post!

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